The harvest was down by 8 million pounds and the value was $75 million less than in 2024. The Department of Marine Resources attributed the drop to inflation, tariffs and fishermen taking fewer trips on the water.
Maine’s lobster harvest saw a significant decline last year, both in the catch and the value of the haul.
The overall landed value was $461.4 million, down from $536.5 million in 2024.
Lobster fishermen brought in 78.8 million pounds in 2025, down from 87.3 million a year earlier.
Department of Marine Resources commissioner Carl Wilson attributed the decrease to a number of factors.
“The impact of inflation on fishermen in 2025 not only challenged their bottom line, but when combined with market uncertainty due to tariffs, and a late molt that limited access by the summer fishery to new shell lobsters, it may have caused many to change fishing behavior, including limiting trips," he said.
DMR data shows that lobster harvesters took over 21,000 fewer fishing trips in 2025 than in 2024 — a nearly 10% decline in time spent on the water.
Though when adjusted for inflation, the overall value of lobster in 2025 was closer to the value earned in 2008, noted Wilson.
Overall, Maine’s commercial marine harvesters earned more than $619 million in 2025 — the 14th consecutive year fishery earnings topped $500 million — according to the DMR.
Chart COURTESY / MAINE DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES
Maine’s softshell clam fishery was the state’s second most valuable in 2025, with an overall value of $21.6 million, a jump of nearly $6 million over 2024.
Clammers increased their harvest over 2024 by 441,578 pounds and saw an increase in price at the dock from $2.72 per pound in 2024 to $3.49 per pound in 2025.
Atlantic Menhaden, the preferred bait for lobster fishermen, was the third most valuable fishery last year, earning fishermen nearly $19 million — an increase of more than $5 million over 2024. Landings jumped from 27 million pounds in 2024 to over 31 million pounds in 2025.
Oyster harvesters and growers continue to see increasing demand for their product, which was the fourth most valuable in 2025, at $16 million.
Scallops were the fifth most valuable commercially harvested species in 2025, earning both fishermen and aquaculturists more than $9 million.
“Maine scallops continue to provide a vital winter fishery for harvesters, an emerging opportunity for aquaculturists, and a delicacy for consumers,” said Wilson.
Elver fishermen harvested nearly 8,000 pounds of baby eels in 2025 and earned $6.9 million, placing the fishery as the sixth most valuable.
More information on 2025 landings, including the value of each fishery adjusted for inflation, can be found on the DMR website.
